


love is a doing word

by yaoi_yaoieverywhere



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, I meant this to be BFFs but it's oddly romantic sometimes, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Reunions, Separations, The lines of love are blurred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4747931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaoi_yaoieverywhere/pseuds/yaoi_yaoieverywhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You can't stay?" And here Hinata's voice is strained too. "Like we planned all those years ago. Your toothbrush is already here. We can move your shoes into the front stoop and your clothes into my closet. We- we can share the bed, and the food. We'll walk together to school like nothing's different."</p><p>[When Akaashi was Childhood Friends with Hinata]</p>
            </blockquote>





	love is a doing word

**Author's Note:**

> Why? Why???
> 
> This started out geN WHY

The story is plain, but it is this; Hinata and Akaashi grow up together but not the same.

Hinata grows up with the constant push of moving, moving, moving. Rush headfirst into your mistakes, but take care to remember why they happened. Love with as much as you want to give, feel with your whole heart. Ride your bike up and down mountain roads because they're your home. Be known by your loves.

Akaashi grows up learning academics are important. If you can learn a mistake before you make it, you've done a good job. Love is for those who earn it, not who will ask it, no matter how closely related. Keep yourself safe, dress your wounds, yield the most profit with the least effort. Be kind to who you will be.

Still, they grow up right next to each other, and their mothers learn to share duties and leave their comfort zones so their children might smile more. They teach them how to make a string phone, the kind fashioned out of cups and red string. Hinata draws a sun in bright orange and yellow on his cup and Akaashi draws a crescent moon with too much black that his father calls a 'toenail moon'. They lean out windows in broad daylight, whispering back and forth to each other many things that would've been yelled across the distance before.

Their relationship is made up more of knowing than talking. Hinata always knows when Akaashi wants to play with him or take a break. Akaashi knows when Hinata is ready to stuff himself and nap for as long as their mothers will let them. Akaashi knows how the tan lines have changed on Hinata's skin. Hinata remembers every toy Akaashi has ever treasured. Their parents photo albums become almost interchangeable wherever they are concerned, because if you find one, the other is undoubtedly by their side. Some have been exchanged but no one remembers which ones.

When they have nightmares, sometimes it feels safer to sleep in the house next door than crawl into their tired parents' beds. They develop a special knock that means _I'm scared_ , two knocks against the pane, one against the window. It's always a treat to be woken up by their parent's relieved laughter once they figure out what's happened.

Some days Akaashi is practically non verbal because Hinata manages to say what he wants before he even considers voicing it himself. Once, not so long after they'd entered school, there was an incident where Akaashi was with the Hinata's while they shopped. There was the tiniest baby Natsu drooling on her mother's shoulder, Hinata bouncing next to him, and he had looked at the rapeseed plants for a bit too long. So Hinata had shouted to his mom on the other side of the aisle, "KEI-CHAN WANTS NANOHANA NO KARASHI CAN WE PLEAAAASE?", and well. They did have Akaashi's favorite food that night, but he was a bit embarrassed. A few months later he'd gotten used to it, and sometimes spent entire weekends at the Hinata's without saying a word.

In turn Hinata becomes pliant to Akaashi's casual skinship. Akaashi's parents seem somewhat distant from the outside, but nothing could be further from the truth. Hair ruffling greets Hinata everytime he enters their house, everyone constantly brushing up against each other no matter how spacious the room, tugging his clothes back in place when he inevitably pulls something out of place, holding hands while crossing the street. Or the sidewalk. Or from one house to the next. Or- well, basically all the time. When Akaashi and Hinata sleep in the same bed, they curl into each other like knots in headphone wires. When they wake up in the mornings, there's fresh rice and eggs and soy sauce passed between their hands. The household becomes the hazy sort of warmth after a perfect nap for Hinata.

They grow up making plans around each other. Nothing was impossible, and they'd always be together. They had lots of little plans on what to do if life threw a curveball their way.

When Hinata comes home one day, light shining in his eyes from the lingering awe of the Small Giant, Akaashi knows life is about to change. Hinata begs for Akaashi to toss for him and he doesn't mind when he has time. They use two trees as their net, Hinata's fingers brushing leaves as he flails for the ball. Akaashi's tosses barely brush Hinata's fingers at first. All too often they collide as Hinata falls back to earth, collapsing to the leafy floor in a pile of yelping limbs. They learn the game together.

But they're in two different grades, even if it's at the same school. There's no volleyball club to hold them together either. Akaashi ends up being unable to help Hinata nearly as much as the girl's team. A regret lingers in his heart for being unable to watch Hinata learn to soar.

For a while, Akaashi expects to go to high school around Miyagi. Aoba Jousai or Shiratorizawa would be nice with his grades, but Karasuno was drawing Hinata's eye...

Those hopes are dashed when his mother comes back home one day, tired but thrilled. A promotion for all the hard work had ended up landing her a prime spot in the main office all the way in Tokyo. When Akaashi graduates, they'll be all set to move there. His father had heard Fukurodani was an excellent school for both grades and volleyball. His new life was decided in one afternoon by someone else.

It's ten o'clock when he sneaks out that night, throat tight with distress. Hinata's window is shut because of the overcast sky that hasn't quite started to bless the ground with rain yet. Akaashi drums his fingers against the pane twice, the glass once, and then slides it open just enough to crawl inside.

Hinata's sitting in his bed, blankets half covering his hair with the corners clutched in his hands. He's framed by an oval of sheets.

"What happened?" Hinata asks, already hopping up to drag Akaashi into the bed. Akaashi's feet follow Hinata to the end of the bed before hesitating. Hinata huffs and pulls them both down, now a mess of blankets and limbs, pillows getting knocked off the side. Akaashi can hear Hinata's chest moving up and down in the silence. A thunder clap rings far away.

"I'm moving." It's all he manages to get out before the tears choke him, fingers curling in the fabric of Hinata's shirt. Though blurring vision he makes out Hinata's hand before it comes to rest on his cheek in soft concern. It sounds like Hinata's stopped breathing for a second.

"You can't stay?" And here Hinata's voice is strained too. "Like we planned all those years ago. Your toothbrush is already here. We can move your shoes into the front stoop and your clothes into my closet. We- we can share the bed, and the food. We'll walk together to school like nothing's different. Mom won't mind and- and even if she does, we can hide it somehow. Won't you stay with me Kei-chan?" With eyes blown wide in anxiety, Hinata's gaze flits over Akaashi.

"I want to too," Akaashi admits, but that is all that comes out. Hinata's face settles into the crook of his neck and he breathes, feeling the softness of Hinata's hair and the wet tears and snot that soak his shoulder. "Shou-chan, I'm sorry."

They are too old for their young plans to work. They are too young to run away together and live their lives the way they want. They are too upset to think of anything else.

This time when their parents walk in to find them curled up together after not finding Akaashi in his bed, they don't laugh. Natsu squeezes past the adults and finds her place in between the two.

After waking up at ten o'clock, they find out their parents called in to let the school know they wouldn't be attending today. Natsu is home too, because she has never known a day without Akaashi, and the idea that it would hurt her any less was ludicrous.

They eat junk food and laze around without doing much of anything for a whole day. Hinata barely lets go of Akaashi. Natsu doesn't cry because maybe if she doesn't, maybe if she's strong, Akaashi will stay. Akaashi tries to believe this is for the best. Before Akaashi goes back home, Hinata shoves the volleyball they'd started playing together with into his hands. There were tiny spots where their fingers had worn at the fabric and black marker letters. With the letter squished together, it reads ' **For Kei-chan'**.

It is only after Akaashi leaves that Hinata finds the orange sticky note in their old string phone in the back of his closet, hidden in the one with the moon drawn on it. The side with the sun still remained dusty and cobwebbed after a handful of years without use.

' **For Shou-chan,'**  A list of usernames and emails and phone numbers, each carefully ordered and labeled in black ink over pencil. It still feels warm in his hand even though it's impossible. Hinata hiccups over a laugh, hand jumping to his throat at the pain. Akaashi... Always the practical one.

The school year starts up again, and Akaashi does not help him walk Natsu to school. It's one of the first things he never realized would makes his heart ache.

But he is almost fourteen years old and determined to get at least one match in middle school, so he plows on.

Akaashi does not mention the name Fukurodani. It's silly, but part of him wonders if he doesn't tell Hinata, things will go back to the way they were. He will come back to Miyagi like nothing happened and they will play in the mountains once again.

The next year and a half is filled with sporadic skype calls and texts that are paragraphs on garbled incidents that they pass back and forth, somehow able to understand even when they shouldn't. There are nights they spend with their phones fallen to their chests as they nodded off waiting for a reply. There are days Akaashi goes out taking pictures of the real sights of Tokyo. The scattered crepe carts on the streets of Harajuku, the store where all they sell are socks that might as well be leggings with feet, the various themes of the Animate cafe as the months go by. Hinata sends back pictures of the stars, a video of him riding down a hill in the early morning, pictures of every time he gets to eat egg on rice. Akaashi talks of the soon to be Ace who he has to babysit every day, and Hinata talks of the boy who had asked what he'd been doing all this time with such an angry face.

Life continues on with them.

The first time Hinata comes to Tokyo, he is too consumed by how close he was to being unable to come to remember Akaashi was somewhere in these streets. Then he meets Kenma and forges a new friendship. He is quiet and watchful in a way not quite unfamiliar to him. Towards the end he finally remembers to text Akaashi he's here. 

Akaashi looks at how close Hinata is, how little time he has to stay, and groans. If only he had more time, but he too is in a summer training camp and can't sneak away. If he did, who knows what would happen to the gym.

The second time is after a defeat at the hands of Aoba Jousai. It is another training camp, but this time with Fukurodani. Hinata once again forgets to tell Akaashi before he gets there. Through all the chaos of wrangling his team just to get to training camp, Akaashi doesn't notice that Nekoma's rival that the coach says will be attending camp with them has to be Karasuno.

So Hinata comes bouncing into the gym behind his team mates, eagerly looking at the new school to play against, and sees...

"Kei-chan!" Tsukishima stiffens, hand clenching with the urge to smack Hinata, but Hinata rushes past him to greet... Fukurodani's setter? The boy turns around, eyes widening slightly in recognition. What's most telling however is how he suddenly braces himself, arms slightly open as if to catch Hinata.

"Shou-chan, don't-" But it's too late, and Hinata swoops in at full force, Akaashi wobbling slightly under the weight but ultimately managing to stay upright with the fear of colliding with floors he'd just helped polished. He wheezes when Hinata tightens his arms and legs.

"I didn't know you played for Fukurodani! _You're_ the setter I've heard so much about?" Hinata chirped, unhooking his legs and standing on his own two feet as he dragged Akaashi down to face level. "You underrate yourself when we text. Stu~pid. Do it again and see what happens!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a glorified babysitter." Akaashi said with his straightest face on. It didn't take long to break when Hinata let go to slap his shoulder and puff out his cheeks, a slow grin taking over his face as he straightened. "It's good the see you again Shou-chan. How's Natsu?"

"Natsu's doing great, but she misses you. She's gotten so bratty without you around!"

"That's because you spoil her too much. I _told_ you all that junk you fed her would come back to bite you. This is why Auntie never let you have a dog..."

A loud cough interrupted them. "You're breaking Bokuto," Sarukui pointed out. Indeed, Bokuto was staring between them with a wide eyes, mouth opening and shutting slowly. "That's cheating."

"That's not cheating, that's a pain," Akaashi sighed.

"Kei-chan wouldn't sabotage his own team," Hinata agreed. "Too much work."

"Sureee... Anyway, how do you two know each other?"

"We were neighbors since forever ago! Like, seriously, I can't remember a day without him until he moved away. That was... two years ago?"

"A year and a half. Now shoo, or we can't play volleyball."

Practice progresses pretty normally after that. Bokuto's interest in Hinata is inevitable, but the way Akaashi's eyes follow them both is somewhat unexpected. He watches Kageyama toss to Hinata and learns. Hinata watches Akaashi toss to his Ace and vibrates with excitement. They've both improved.

They've both started finding a new life, and that's as beautiful as it is terrifying.

Akaashi twirls the ball in his hands, gaze following Hinata again. Bokuto hums beside him, and he stiffens.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so excited to toss to someone, Akaashi. He must be pretty cool!"

"Mm, in a way. It's more... That I've missed tossing to him, I think."

"Then do it! You don't think he'll say no, do you?"

"Well, no. But... It had been a while since I have. Hmm..."

"Just go for it, Akaashi! A year and half compared to what came before ain't much. And he's been fidgeting just like you."

"...Don't bully Tsukishima too much while I'm gone."

"Awwh, but Akaashi-" Was already gone, face to face with Hinata and talking. Bokuto watched Hinata grin widely at Akaashi with sharp eyes. Hmm... In a way, Hinata was who he was measured against by Akaashi, he was sure. But it wasn't too bad when Akaashi smiled so easily at Hinata's shenanigans. 

Watching Hinata and Akaashi's timing fall perfectly in sync is a surprise. There's beauty in the way Kageyama's toss finds Hinata's hand perfectly, a sense of security in how Suga's toss is met by Hinata's hand, but Akaashi's toss and Hinata's palm naturally meet each other without a word. There isn't any surprise from them- just satisfaction and a glance before the next toss. 

The first day of practice ends on a good note. There's a sense of curiosity following the childhood friends, one they seem to think will be satisfied when Akaashi has to head home and Hinata must stay with his team.

Except Hinata doesn't have to stay.

"Aunt Akaashi insisted I visit for at least today so I _have_ to go. I'll see you tomorrow!" Is all they get before Hinata darts off with Akaashi following him out the door at a much more sedate pace. Once Hinata realized he had no idea what direction to go, he'd retrace his steps all the way back to Akaashi.

Yes, Akaashi knows Hinata just well enough.

When they finally end up walking side by side, Akaashi brushes their knuckles together. Hinata glances at him in askance. Akaashi avoids his gaze. A bright grin appears on Hinata's face suddenly, and he grasps Akaashi's hand tightly. 

"Missed you too, you big dork." Face flushing entirely, Akaashi finally looks at Hinata. Squeezing his hand in lieu of a reply, Akaashi swallows.

"...How much?"

"Too much. Like the sun misses the new moon! Like... Like one end of a red string strains for the other? Something like that."

"You're shameless," Akaashi hissed, trying to hide his face with both hands even as Hinata refused to let go of one of them. "We've been apart for a year and a half and you start talking romantic? I didn't think you knew what a metaphor was when I-" Left.

"Only because Kei-chan is mine! Right?" 

"Puberty went to your head, Shou-chan!"

"Duh. But I've always loved Kei-chan! Don't you love me? Isn't that why you asked?"

"Now look who's asking obvious questions..." Taking a slow breath, Akaashi still didn't feel his face calm. "Don't you have any hesitance?"

"Not with you. Not since you left and I had no way of knowing when we'd see each other again." When he said that, Hinata clasped Akaashi's hands in his own and brought them close to his face. His lips almost brushed against Akaashi's knuckles when he spoke, "Never with you."

They stay like that for a bit, staring at each other at this new path- was it inevitable? Maybe not. But it was theirs now. A path where they could walk together in their different lives. One paved with honesty.

"Love you, too. Shou-chan." His face was back to it's usual pale color, red having bled out in the quiet moments. "We better head home though."

"Okay! Let's hurry, I'm starving here!"

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to this on a loop when I was writing the first half: https://vine.co/v/hdVXhtbKTvd
> 
> To be honest and a little writer snobby, I kinda cried writing the scene with Akaashi and Hinata in the bed. I wanted them to stay together ;_; But that's sort of weird, because this whole thing is more a summation than an actual story....
> 
> I think my stories are getting longer? I can't really tell because I write them in the Ao3 drafts, so I can't see my wordcount, but it would be nice, right?


End file.
